Biker Bound: The Lost Souls MC Series (13 page)

I can feel my eyes widen at the sight of her naked torso covered in thin white scars. As she slowly turns around, the scars run round onto her back as well.

“Bonnie, what happened to you?” I ask in shock.

“Tommy, the man I was supposed to marry. The night before our wedding I ran from the club and because I had overheard my brother talking about revenge for my father’s murder so I came to Willows Peak to warn the Lost Souls. Long story short, that’s when I met Sparky properly. It took me months to trust him and the club. The only person I trusted was Alannah, I first met her in college. Over time I saw the Lost Souls weren’t anything like my father or brother, so when I say trust me, please, trust me.”

Well, this definitely changes everything. If bonnie can see good in them after everything she has been through, I certainly can. I have always wanted too but now I can shut the little voice in the back of head up.

“Thank you for sharing your past with me.”

“It isn’t something I normally like to talk about but I like you and thought you should understand the club properly. They don’t always live by the law and yeah, sometimes shit does happen they can’t control, but when it comes to one of their own they’ll fight to the death.”

“I’m kinda understanding that. I suppose I judged pretty hard, not that I’ve ever met a club before,” I laugh.

“Put it this way, if you ever need proof they’re not monsters, you should stick around and see Sparky and Cas try and tell Alannah and I what to do. They soon turn to putty in our hands,” she giggles.

I couldn’t imagine the likes of Sparky and Cas being putty in anyone’s hands but Bonnie wouldn’t lie to me, she has no need to.

I am glad I visited Bonnie today, I know now what I want to do. There is no denying I want Slade. He’s good with Zachery…and Zachery is good around him. I want to see where we go from here but the first thing I need to do is find us our own place to live.

“You look like you’re forming a plan,” Bonnie smiles across the garden table.

“It’s already formed. Thank you for today, everything you’ve said has made everything clear for me.”

“You’re welcome, what are friends for.”

For the rest of the afternoon, we play with Zachery and JJ down by the stream and it isn’t until Sparky arrives home that we notice the time slipping away from us.

After giving his wife a tender kiss he picks his son up and the scene before me makes me jealous. This is what I wanted for Zachery when I first came in search for Billy.

“Do you and Zachery want to stay for dinner?” Bonnie asks, rounding up our glasses from the table.

“That’s very sweet of you but I should get back,” I say, packing Zachery’s bricks into my bag much to his annoyance.

“Who would I have to find around here to find me a house?” I ask.

Sparky laughs as he sits at one of the chairs at the table we’re trying to clear.

“What’s so funny?” I ask.

“Normally, Slade is the go-to guy to find things. He’s the one who found us this place,” Sparky replies, “I doubt he would help you though,” he adds, amused.

“Why wouldn’t he help me?”

“Because he’s got you right where he wants you, in his home.”

Bonnie’s quick slap to the back of his head soon shut him up and now I know what she means about putty in her hands.

“Don’t listen to him Kristen. If you want your own place, Slade will help you.”

It’s not long before we say our goodbyes and arrange another playdate for the boys later in the week and we are in the car driving back to Slade’s house.

As usual Zachery is as good as gold in his seat all the way back and before long I am pulling up outside Slade’s house. His bike is in the drive so he must be home.

I know the way I feel about him is not a quick crush but is that how he feels? Only one way to find out. I climb out and unclip Zachery from his seat and head up to the front door. Slade gave me his spare key a few weeks ago.

I let myself in and was about to put Zachery down when I noticed he had fallen asleep in my arms.

Hearing the usual tapping of the laptop keys coming from the kitchen I head in that direction. When I get to the door, I see his busy and has his headphones in. Instead of disturbing him, I lay with Zachery on the couch.

My earlier conversation with Bonnie has given me a lot to think about. My decision to stay balances on the chance that Slade feels the same about me. I close my eyes while I think and decide to speak to him when he isn’t so busy.

Slade

The sun has not long risen and I’m only just finishing my search on the Devils Bastards. I spent hours tracking each and every member’s movements and found nothing. I only realised the time when it began getting dark out. I found Kristen and Zachery asleep on the couch. I should’ve woken her up and sent her to bed to be more comfortable but she looked so peaceful.

Staying awake all night was a big mistake, Kristen and Zachery will be waking up soon and I’ll be asleep. It doesn’t matter that she’s staying with me, whenever I’m not around her I fucking miss her.

Between having no clue who is out to get us and not knowing where I stand with Kristen, my mood is starting to crash again.

First, I’ll get some sleep then I’ll speak with her. As I put my laptop back in its case and my coffee cup in the sink I hear her moving in the other room.

Knowing she is awake I don’t feel tired anymore. My body is on high alert and the feeling of knowing I’ll be seeing her any second fuels me.

I refill the coffee machine and grab the cup she has been using since she came here off the counter.

I’m welcomed by Zachery not Kristen.

“Hey buddy, where’s momma?” I ask, pulling him up into my arms.

His little finger points towards to the living room. This is the first time I have seen him reply in anyway. I try my luck and carry on.

“Do you want some breakfast?” I ask.

He nods his head and his blonde mop of hair falls over his eyes. Since they have been staying here, my cupboards have been fully stocked with various groceries.

“Come on then, show Slade what you want.”

I open the cupboards and wait for him to show me. After a few moments, he points to the cereal he has every morning and I feel a sense of pride in watching first hand him beginning to communicate.

Holding Zach on my hip and pouring a bowl of cereal is how Kristen finds us when she stumbles into the kitchen. Her sleepy smile gets me every time I see it.

“I can’t believe how comfortable he is with you,” she yawns.

“Watch this,” I tell her, “Zach, where’s momma?”

He looks from watching me prepare his breakfast to look around for Kristen, when he spots her he points his finger in her direction.

I see her chest deflate in shock and she smiles.

“He chose his own breakfast too,” I add, filling her in on what she missed.

“Go on,” I put him down on his feet, “Go to your momma.”

Kristen started setting his place at the table while I poured us two cups of coffee.

“You look tired, did you get any sleep last night?” she asks.

“No, I’ll grab a few hours soon.”

“Can we talk later?”

When I look at her I see her nervously playing with her hands.

“No, we can talk now,” I tell her.

There is no way I want to wait till later to hear what she has to say, good or bad.

“Okay, I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to come out with it and hope I make sense,” she rambles on, “The last few weeks have been amazing and normally I wouldn’t ask this early but I have Zachery to think about and…”

I couldn’t help but cut in.

“Are you about to ask me what this is between us?” I say, saving her the trouble of rambling around her point.

“I suppose I am,” she says, looking away from me.

“What do you want to happen here?” I ask, hesitantly.

“I…You…I don’t know,” she frowns.

“Are you unsure because we haven’t known each other that long?” I ask.

“Mainly yeah, I think we should move into our own place, give us space to get to know one another. I like what’s happening between us and I don’t want to ruin it because we do everything too quickly.”

“That’s not going to work for me darlin’.”

Her frown was quickly replaced with determination. As she went to stand I reached across the table and took hold of her wrist.

“Sit down please, I’m not finished.”

Zachery, completely unaware of what is occurring before him, continues to eat his breakfast.

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you, everybody else manages to live apart and still date,” she says.

“I’m not everybody else.”

“I know.”

I have to smile at her tone.

“Is that what you want, to date?”

“I wouldn’t say no to you.”

I have to be honest when I say I like hearing that.

“We can date all you like, it doesn’t mean we have to live apart.”

“You’re being bossy again,” she points out…as she likes to do. “Why are you so adamant that we live together from the start?”

“Because I don’t think what we have is nothing. The way I feel about you and Zach it’s inevitable you’ll be back here with me. Tell me, what better way is there to get to know each other? I don’t want to waste any time, not with you. It doesn’t matter if you’re here or somewhere else, I know I’ll be falling asleep next to you every night and waking up beside you each and every morning. Why not do that here?”

I couldn’t be any more serious right now. I feel like I am laying my life on some imaginary line and the only outcome I can accept is for her to agree to stay with me.

“This is crazy,” she whispers lightly.

Not standing it any longer, I move around the table and crouch down before her.

“I told you once that I’d know when I met the one and I fuckin’ know you’re the one for me.”

I hope to fuck she hears the sincerity in my words because I don’t want to let her go.

“And what about Zachery? The way he’s changed around you, I don’t want him getting hurt.”

“I know I’m not his father. I would never take that away from Billy, regardless of the fact that he’s dead, I’ll take care of him as if he was my own blood. The same way I do for my brothers at the club. None of them are my blood but there isn’t one of them I wouldn’t die for, none more so than you and Zach. Let me make you both happy.”

She sits before me in silence, watching me. I can see her mind ticking over and over deciding what to do next.

Time has never passed by slowly waiting for her decision.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I ask, because the way she said it could mean anything and I want to be sure.

“Okay I’ll stay. We’ll see where this takes us but if it doesn’t work I’ll take Zachery and we’ll leave.”

“You’re mine now, I’m not going to let it not work,” I grin, leaning into her.

“If I’m yours, does this mean you’re completely mine?” she asks, meekly.

I should have expected her to ask. God knows what she has heard about the women at the club. Her already preconceived ideas about the club were bad enough.

“One hundred per cent yours. Since you showed up demanding answers I haven’t been able to think about any other woman.”

I can see she believes me when she exhales and smiles.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she giggles.

“You’ll believe it later when I’m between these,” I say, spreading her legs apart and leaning in closer, “And showing you what you do to me.”

Her slight shudder as my breath hits her neck gives me images of her whole body shuddering as I go down between her legs.

“I can’t wait,” she murmurs.

I bring my hand up and cup her chin so she’s looking at me and give her a taste of what to expect tonight. The kiss doesn’t last long but it is just enough to leave us both wanting more, much more.

“I take it you’re not going to help me find a place then?” she teases.

“No way in hell, I want you both here with me.” I tell her seriously.

“Not to ruin the moment but we still do need to talk.”

“About what?”

“About what happens next, if you want us to stay there’s going to be mess and toys everywhere, although I do tidy up constantly. Zachery’s going to need his own room and…”

I cut her off before she can become any more worked up for nothing.

“First of all, I don’t give a shit about mess and toys and secondly, Zachery can have the guest room and you can decorate it however you like. It really isn’t anything to worry about. Stop trying to find reasons for this not to work.”

“You’re right. How about I wear Zachery out today and cook for us tonight. We can talk about everything then.”

“I don’t plan on talking darlin’,” I smirk, I know I look cocky but I truly don’t see us doing much talking not when she has given herself to me.

“And I didn’t plan on talking all night,” she says, coyly.

“In that case, I’ve got some shit to do then I’ll crash at the club for a while. I’ll be back in plenty of time for ‘talking’,” I tell her.

Before she could utter another word about us being together I closed the gap between us and kissed her hard, a kiss that will set the precedent for all future kisses.

Zachery is still eating his breakfast beside us and I know I should pull away, but as my lips connect to hers they became fused together. There is no where I’d rather be. Gauging by her response, she is feeling everything I am too.

Reluctantly, I pull away first, leaving us both breathless and her lips slightly swollen.

“I should go so I can get back to you.”

My voice is trembling for the first time in my life. This is it and I know for sure she is the one for me.

“I’ll be here,” she smiles.

Hearing she will be here waiting for me is music to my fucking ears that I have been waiting a lifetime to hear.

I forced myself to stand and step away from her to try and gain some clarity. Too bad she was trying to kill me without knowing it and follows me up and steps into my arms, linking her hands in mine.

“We probably should’ve spoke about this before, but will you tell me more about your club now we’re together?”